1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus capable of communications with a single partner using a plurality of channels, its control method, and a computer readable recording medium that stores the control method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, communication apparatuses that use an ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) line such as a G4 facsimile apparatus, digital telephone set, TA (terminal adapter), ISDN router, and the like have prevailed.
As one feature of ISDN, communications can be made using a plurality of channels (so-called 2B+1D channels) at the same time via a single office line. For example, communications can be made using one B-channel by a telephone set and the other channel by a facsimile apparatus at the same time.
Furthermore, a so-called bulk communication mode that communicates with a single communication partner using two B-channels can be used although this mode depends on the application/network protocol of the host. In this bulk communication, the two channels are connected by different origination control processes, and communications using these channels are charged separately.
However, conventional ISDN communication apparatuses have a very narrow user setup range for the bulk communication.
More specifically, an arrangement that allows user setups as to whether or not a bulk communication is to be made is known. However, in the conventional arrangement, the user can merely select unconditionally whether or not the bulk communication is used. That is, in the conventional arrangement, if xe2x80x9cuse bulk communicationxe2x80x9d is set, a bulk communication request is always issued to the partner, and a bulk communication is executed in response to a request from the partner. On the other hand, if xe2x80x9cnot use bulk communicationxe2x80x9d is set, no bulk communication request is issued to the partner, and a bulk communication request from the partner is not granted.
Hence, the transmitting (calling party) side nearly solely has the right to decide as to whether or not a bulk communication is made, and the receiving (called party) side can only set to decline a bulk communication. In this case, a bulk communication request cannot be issued upon transmitting (placing) a call by the own apparatus.
More specifically, the conventional arrangement can only control reception (termination) and transmission (origination) under the same setup, i.e., can only grant or deny bulk communications for both of reception (termination) and transmission (origination) as a set, and does not allow the user to independently set grant/denial for bulk communications in reception (termination) and transmission (origination).
Also, in the conventional, upon receiving a bulk communication request, it is impossible to attain flexible control for determining according to various conditions whether or not that request is accepted.
As another problem experienced in bulk communications, once a given apparatus (a router, facsimile apparatus, or the like) has started a bulk communication, another apparatus such as a telephone set cannot communicate since both channels are busy, and an incoming call cannot be received.
As a technique for solving this problem, in a TA (terminal adapter), ISDN router, or the like, a technique called a resource BOD (Bandwidth On Demand) or the like, i.e., a technique for automatically selecting a 1B connection upon detection of an outgoing/incoming call from/to an analog port or a digital terminal connected to another S T point during a bulk (2B) communication is known.
Also, a technique for determining whether or not a bulk communication is made, in accordance with the accumulated use frequency of channels (lines) or the line use charge at the current time, and a technique for dynamically increasing/decreasing the number of channels to be used in correspondence with the volume of transfer data per unit time (so-called throughput BOD) are known.
However, most of the conventional bulk communication control techniques such as BOD and the like are associated with a synchronous PPP (Point to Point Protocol) of a standalone TA, and do not consider how to control bulk communications of a plurality of bulk communication-compatible apparatuses connected.
For example, when a plurality of resource BOD-compatible apparatuses are connected, when one apparatus starts a communication during a bulk communication of the other apparatus, the apparatus that has already started the bulk communication always gives away the channel it is using. However, such situation is not always desirable when the other apparatus is making a communication which requires high communication rate. Depending on the user""s purpose, a given one of a plurality of apparatuses often always has a low communication priority order. However, since the prior art does not consider such priority at all, a bulk communication which is underway may be interrupted by an apparatus with low communication priority.
It is an object of the present invention to allow various user setups in relation to communications using a plurality of communication channels.
It is another object of the present invention to set the number of communication channels for a communication in an automatic answering mode.
It is still another object of the present invention to improve convenience of a communication apparatus capable of communications with a single partner using a plurality of communication channels.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.